Knee brace



Jan. 24, 1939. A. K. SNYDER KNEE BRACE Filed Jan. 22, 1958 INVENTOR- A Ueus Tus K. SNYDER ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNEE BRACE Augustus K. Snyder, Annapolis, Md. Application January 22, 1938, Serial No. 186,327

1 Claim. (Cl. 12888) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

\ amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to a knee brace particularly designed for users participating in athletics.

A primary object of this invention resides in stantially vertical plane only, but preventing any lateral movement whatever between the shafts I2 and I3.

Rivet I4 includes a wear-reducing bushing I5 therein, the bushing I5 as well as the shafts I3 the provision of a knee brace which will preclude 5 the possibility of injury to a user and will 68- and I4 being of a hard, light metal, preferably pecially prevent further injury to a knee joint a nickel alloy sometimes commercially known as previously injured in the absence of this invention. Monel metal. Similar vertical shafts I6 and I! A still further object of this invention resides are similarly journaled together by rivet I8, the in the provision of a knee brace which is so deshafts I6 and I! being intended to lie along the 10 signed as to be of durable and strong construcinside of the thigh and calf of the leg of the user, tion and at the same time of minimum weight and While the shafts I2 and I3 lie along the outside of bulk, thus affording the user ample support and the thigh and calf of the user. protection with the least possible encumbrance. As will be observed, the shafts I2, I3, I6 and A very important object of this invention is that I! are substantially flattened and are shaped to it will intercept and counteract forces directed tofit snugly against the sides of the thigh and calf. ward the knee, and in so doing will partly ab- The upper shafts I2 and I6 are secured together sorb the shock caused by such impacting forces in proper spaced relation by a flattened metal and will transmit the remaining major portion band I9 which passes around the back of the of the shockto the fleshy parts of the calf and thigh closely adjacent the top of the shafts I2 thigh and I6. A similar flattened band 20 is similarly A still further object of this invention is the secured to the shafts I3 and I! closely adjacent bracing of the previously injured knee joint when to the upper ends of these shafts near the joint, the crucial, internal and lateral ligaments of the and in use overlies the lower edge of the kneecap knee have so stretched or damaged as to allow of the user. A second flat metal band 2| is seabnormal lateral and fore and aft motion, wherecured to shafts I3 and I1 immediately below the by thisknee brace will protect the knee from furband 20. This band 2I extends about the top ther injury and allow continuance of activity or upper part of the calf of the user's leg. Each while the knee joint is healing. of the bands I9, 20 and. 2|, preferably of the same A still further object of this invention is that material as the shaft, have a curvature compared it is so designed as to permit the user safely to to the curvature of the parts of the leg to which participate in games without injury to his oppothey are adjacent so that they will make little, nent and not only without further aggravation if any, contact therewith, and if any contact is of any injury previously inflicted upon the joint made it will be a light contact made only when but also permitting healing to take place while the leg has been bent to the extreme permitted continuing to use the knee joint. position. While the shafts I2, I3, I6 and I! have With the foregoing and other objects in view, been described as extending substantially vertithe invention consists in the construction, comcally, it will be understood that they will be bination and arrangement of parts hereinafter curved and fitted so as to lie snugly along the described and illustrated in the drawing, in which, sides of the leg above and below the knee joint Fig. l is an elevational view of the invention in of the leg, while the rivets I4 and I5 are posioperative position; tioned so that the journalling of the shafts Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the framework through the rivets I4 and I5 will coincide with or skeleton of the knee brace of this invention; the normal line of flexure of the knee so as to Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. permit normal bending of the leg relative to the 2; and thigh. Side motion of the leg relative to the Fig. 4 is a fragmentary portion of a modificathigh or any other motion except a normal reartion of this invention. ward bending of the leg is prevented by the There is shown at III the knee brace of this inshafts upon their rivets. vention as applied about the knee joint II of a In order to hold the shafts in proper position user. This knee brace I0 has a framework or relative to the sides of the thigh and the leg, skeleton and includes two flattened vertical supboots 22 and. 23 are fitted on the shafts and are porting shafts I2 and I3 which are journaled toof a shape and size to snugly fit about the thigh gether by a rivet I4, permitting movement of the and the calf, being held in position thereon by a shafts I2 and I3 about such rivet I4 in a subsuitable lacing or securing means 24 and 25,

tongues 26 and 21 being provided beneath the lacing 24 and 25 so as to prevent chafing of the skin by the lacing. These boots 22 and 23 will be made of leather or other suitable natural or artificial composition serviceable for this purpose. In fitting the boots to the shafts they will preferably be placed on the inner sides of the shaft and held thereto by suitable securing means such as rivets 28, the outer sides of the shafts being covered by flaps 29 of material similar to the boot and sewed thereto. The metal bands I9, 20 and 2| will likewise be protected by a coating or ribbon of similar material, wound therearound as at 30, the purpose of the shaft coverings 29 and band coverings 30 being to prevent possible injury to opponents or to the other leg of the user.

In operation, the knee brace having been properly fitted to the user is held in position merely by fastening the lacing or securing means 24 and 25 with the line through the joining rivets l4 and I8 coinciding with the normal line of bending of the knee. After the boots are thus properly secured in position the user will find that he is permitted all normal forward and bending positions of his knee joint, permitting him to run, walk or kneel without hindrance. Sidewise or lateral motion of the leg relative to the thigh is absolutely prevented, due to the overlapping of the shafts about their joining rivets and preventing the ligaments of the leg from giving sidewise. If the leg has been previously injured before this brace was applied, it will be found that any sidewise weakness of the leg is permitted to heal while continuing normal activity of the leg in a walking, kneeling or running position. The user may likewise fall or be thrown to the ground, even violently, without any sidewise movement of the leg relative to the thigh being permitted.

The normal knee will not permit any bending of the leg relative to the thigh further than a vertical position, and even in most types of knee joint injury no such further motion can take place in the usual knee joint. However, to insure against any straining of the knee joint that might tend to cause the leg to bend forwardly rather than rearwardly toward the thigh, vertical shaft l3, which is joined to the inner side of the outer shaft l2, may be provided with an upwardly extending lip which is folded over as at 32, and provides a stop member abutting against the lower forward edge 33 of the shaft l2 to prevent any possibility of the leg tending to bend forwardly beyond the normal permitted position, this stop flange 32 being likewise included on the other pair of the vertical shafts. Any other suitable means of preventing forward bending may be substituted.

Other modifications and changes in the pro portions and arrangements of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the nature of the invention, within the scope of what is hereinafter claimed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

A knee brace comprising a thigh-embracing boot and a calf-embracing boot and articulated means connecting said thigh-embracing boot and said calf-embracing boot for flexure in a single plane only, said plane being the normal fiexure plane of the knee, a rigid skeleton forming part of said calf-embracing boot, a rigid skeleton forming part of said thigh-embracing boot, said thigh boot skeleton comprising a pair of rigid bars extending vertically on opposite sides of the thigh and a semi-circular rigid band extending behind the thigh and holding said rigid bars in proper spaced relation, said calf boot skeleton comprising a pair of rigid bars extending vertically on opposite sides of the calf, a semi-circular rigid band extending behind the calf and a second semi-circular rigid band extending just below and forward of the kneecap to hold said calf boot bars in proper spaced rigid relation, said semiecircular bands about the front and back of the calf bracing the knee against sliding forward in its socket, said forward semi-circular rigid band acting as a knee protecting bumper in kneeling position.

AUGUSTUS K. SNYDER. 

